This invention relates to a cassette deck, and more particularly to a discharging mechanism for a small cassette of a cassette deck in which both of a small cassette and a large cassette can be used.
Various cassette decks are conventionally known including a compatible mechanical cassette deck wherein a small cassette also called S cassette and a large cassette also called L cassette can be used commonly in the same mechanical deck. Since the small cassette and the large cassette are physically different from each other in terms of the width and the depth, the compatible mechanical deck uses different discharging amounts to discharge the small and large cassettes. In order to discharge the small and large cassettes to the same discharged position although the discharging amounts for them are different, a discharging mechanism for further moving the small cassette to a position from which the small cassette can be taken out manually must be provided separately or additionally. The discharging mechanism includes a rubber roller which frictionally rotates on the surface of the small cassette to discharge the small cassette to the position at which it can be manually taken out.
In the conventional cassette deck, however, since the mechanism for discharging a small cassette drives a small cassette to move to the position at which the small cassette can be taken out manually making use of frictional engagement of the rubber roller with the small cassette, it has a problem in that a slip or the like phenomenon occurs as a result of abrasion of the rubber roller or intervention of dust and accurate discharging of the small cassette cannot be secured.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cassette deck which can use both of a large cassette and a small cassette and can move the small cassette with certainty to a position at which the small cassette can be taken out manually.
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a cassette deck, comprising a housing, and a mounting and discharging mechanism capable of mounting and discharging any of a small cassette and a large cassette, the mounting and discharging mechanism including moving means for pushing at a rear face of the small cassette to move the small cassette to a position at which the small cassette can be manually taken out.
The cassette deck may be constructed such that it further comprises a mechanical deck in which a loading mechanism for loading the small cassette or the large cassette in position is incorporated, and the moving means is provided on a lid member of the mechanical deck.
The moving means may include a pivotal arm mounted for pivotal back and forth movement over approximately 180 degrees on the inner side of the housing. Preferably, the moving means further includes a gear train composed of a plurality of speed reduction gears, and the pivotal back and forth movement over approximately 180 degrees of the pivotal arm is provided by the gear train. Preferably, the pivotal back and forth movement over approximately 180 degrees is limited by mechanical stoppers.
The moving means may include a pair of pivotal arms mounted for pivotal back and forth movement over approximately 180 degrees on the inner side of the housing for pushing at the opposite end positions of the rear face of the small cassette.
With the cassette deck, the small cassette is pushed at the rear face thereof in order to move the small cassette to the position at which the small cassette can be manually taken out. Consequently, the cassette deck is advantageous in that the small cassette can be moved from the discharging position to the taking out position with certainty while the cassette deck is simple in structure.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts or elements denoted by like reference symbols.